U.S. Navy sailors work on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington as it sails through the Arabian Sea in support of U.S. military operations in the war against Iran, August 20, 2026.
US Navy | via Reuters
Iran has laid out conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying they include ending wars in the Middle East.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Lebanese media outlet Al-Manar TV that any understanding with the United States over the straits would include an end to wars and military operations in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria.
He called for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and stop its attacks on Syria, while adding that the conflict in the Gaza Strip must end.
Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz cannot be separated from the broader regional conflict, adding that the US needed to “demonstrate its seriousness” in fulfilling these commitments “before a new trust can be established.”
But a return to diplomacy does not seem imminent. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Trump administration has no interest in returning to the terms of the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran in June.
U.S. President Donald Trump is no longer interested in the framework of the June deal, and is instead waiting to see if his administration’s strategy of putting economic pressure on Iran will work, the paper said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The United States on Monday announced an “Economic D-Day” campaign against Tehran, threatening countries doing business with the Islamic Republic and shifting the focus from military action to economic pressure.
temporary relief
Rezaei said Iran currently allows a “temporary and limited” corridor for ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, and the future of maritime traffic depends on the development of an understanding with the United States.
Earlier this week, Oman and Iran discussed a proposal to establish a temporary joint shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz and a mission to clear mines from a key oil export corridor.
But a video posted late Thursday by Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, on mainland X gave credit to the U.S. military for clearing the mine from the strait.
Over the past few months, CentCom units have helped facilitate the movement of about 1,500 commercial ships and 750 million barrels of crude oil, Cooper said. “Today, international shipping lanes are opening up and gaining momentum.”
But just five ships passed through Hormuz on Tuesday, according to the latest Kupler data available, a far cry from the roughly 130 ships that passed through the vital waterway before war broke out in February.
